213696 Pte. Leonard "Wingy " Woodhead British Army 2nd Btn. Kings Own Royal Regiment(Lancaster) from:Leeds My dad who from Leeds, West Yorkshire, Pte. Leonard Woodhead 2nd Bn King's Own Royal Regiment, was captured at Dunkirk whilst holding off the advancing Germans. He endured the "Death March" to Stalag V111B. He spent nearly 4 years in captivity in Lamsdorf. After an accident, in the forced labour coal mines, he lost his right hand and had multiple injuries to his head arms and legs. He met up with a fellow Yorkshireman, Richard Pape who was a captured RAF navigator,and after the war an author of a book on his wartime experencies.
My dad was repatriated in November 1943, but before he left stalag V111b Richard Pape asked my dad if he would smuggle a message home to Ernest Osborn editor of the "Yorkshire Post Newspapers". He got this message through in a ring made out of a toothbrush.
My dad describes his feelings in the book, “Boldness Be My Friend” written by Richard Pape, when he was stripped and searched by the German guards before he was allowed to embark on his way home.
My Dad was known as Wingy Woodhead in the book. Risking his life Dad got the message to Ernest Osborn, and in return was presented a world atlas from the editor of the Yorkshire Post Newspaper, which I still have today. It has a signed and dated label in the front.
Sadly my dad died in 1980, 2 months after my mother, I have one or two photos of him in Stalag v111b plus POW letters etc., if anyone has any more knowledge of him during his captivity I would be most interested in it.
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